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2. Gaizka Mendieta
Gaizka Mendieta scoring from the spot against Bayern Munich in the 2001 Champions League final
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Not as versatile or full of panache as the aforementioned, but he was one of the star transfers in 2001. His €48 million transfer from Valencia to the Italian club, S.S. Lazio made him the sixth most expensive player of that time. But disappointment followed, and he was loaned off to Barcelona, and then carted off to Middlesbrough. In his first season at the Boro, they won the Football League Cup, and he was made a permanent name on the payroll.
But a string of injuries and fallout with the then manager Gareth Southgate, he found himself off the first team. He scored a total of 8 goals in 40 appearances for the Spain National side from 1999 to 2002. His career tally is a paltry 62 goals from 362 matches which is not unusual for a quiet midfielder, but not so much for Mendieta. His high point was his inclusion in the 2002 World Cup and his time at Valencia CF (45 goals from 231 apps) where he lost successive Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001, and that’s about it. Oh and he was also named the the UEFA Champions League’s midfielder of the year in 1999-00 and 2000-01. We don’t blame you for forgetting him, neither does he.
